Car brake and starter



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. L. COLE. Gar Brake and Starter.

Patented Jan. 27, 1880.;

INVENTOR {$00 mm. W

TORNEYS.

".PETERS, RHOTU-LITHOGRAFHER. W115. IINGTDN, D C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. L. COLE. Gar Brake and Starter. v

P tented Jan. 27,1880.

NrJEfERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNEH. WASHINGTON, 0 Q

WITNESSES storing power to be subsequently used in start- 1 UNITED STATES- PATENT ()FFICE'.

" JOHN L. COLE, OF WILLIAMSTOWN. MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR BRAKE AND STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 223,885, dated January 2'7, 1880.

Application filed June 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN LEONARD OoLn, of Williamstown, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Gar Brake and Starter, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to apparatus for checking the momentum of railroad-cars and ing or impelling the car, which apparatus consists, generally, of springs, a cord orchain, a conical spirallygrooved winding-drum, and gearing and clutches for connecting the drum with the car wheels or axle, whereby the cord is wound on the'drum, the springs compressed and held for use in propelling the car by their expansion.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of mechanism whereby the propulsion of the car in the proper direction by the springs is obtained and the compression of the springs by the momentum of the car is arrested at a definite point, which mechanism is both simple and durable.

The construction and operation will be described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, and the invention pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l, is an inverted plan View of a car fitted with my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line a: m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section of one end of the car on the line 3 y'of Fig.1. Fig. 4 is a partial section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial section on line 20 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is 'a detail view.

Similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the frame of a horse-car, mounted on axles a and wheels b. Beneath one end of the car are fitted steel springs c, sustained.

by a suitable frame. These springs are shown as of an elliptic form, but may be spiral or in other form. At the opposite end of the car, in hangers d, a cross-shaft, e, is fitted, upon which is attached ajconical spirally-grooved drum, f, from which passes a rope or chain,

9, that is connected with the moving end of the springs c,- and, to obtain greater power in compressing the springs, the rope 'or chain projection, '10.

passes around a roller, 0, on the moving end of the springs, thence around a fixed roller, 0 and back to the moving end of the spring, to which it is connected. Upon one end of the drum-f is a ratchet-wheel, f, that is engaged by a sliding spring-pawl, g.

The shafte is fitted contiguous to one of the axles a, and lo the axle a or wheel 1) gearwheels 72. h are attached, so as to turn together and with the wheel, which gear-wheels mesh with the gears i 11, respectively, that are loose on shaft 0, and independent of each other. The gear h meshes directly with i, while h turns 11 by a small intermediate, whereby 'i and i are rotated in contrary direct-ions.

The gears h h are shown as attached to the wheel I), which will be the construction when the car-wheels turn on their axles; but they may be attached to the axle when the axle rotates. V

The shaft 0 carries sliding clutches k k, by which the gears t i are connected at-will with the shaft to wind the chain g on the drum or to turn the wheel I) by the recoil of the springs. The mechanism whereby this is accomplished is operated from either end of the car, and I ports, is connected,by forked le'versmm, with the clutches 7c k, and by a spiral or rubber spring, I, is moved to a position where neither clutch is operative. The pawl g, before mentioned, is fitted for movement to and from the ratchet-wheel f, at right angles to thebar l, and carries on a stud a friction-roller, a, which engages a double-inclined projection, 0, on the bar 1, (see Fig. 6,) whereby the movement of bar I- in either direction from the intermediate point disengages the pawl from the ratchet.

Upon one side of bar I is a square lug or (See Fig. 6.) q q are sliding spring-fingers, fitted for engagement with the projection 19, whereby the bar I is held in one direction by pawl q-and in the other direction by q. At one end of the bar 1, upon frame A,

a crank-lever, r, is hung, one end of which is slotted to receive a pin that projects from Z, and to the other end of lever r is connected a rod, s, that passes to the end of the car, where 2 eaasss it is connected to a crank-arm on a brakeshaft, 2?, which has a handle, whereby it is operated.

Upon the inner projecting end of shaft 0 a screw-thread is formed, to receive a nut, to, which is connected to a lever, n, that is fulcrumed at v The moving end of lever 12 is rounded or beveled, and projects between the beveled ends of the spring-fingers q q, so that by the movement of the lever 12, caused by the rotation of shaft 6, and consequent movement of nut to, the fingers q q are forced back and disengaged from bar lthat is to say, the movement of lever 11 is in the right direction for disengaging the finger, q or g, which is in use.

These parts operate as follows: The car moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, when it is desired to stop, the brake-shaft t is turned by its handle to move the bar l and engage the clutch k with the gear-wheel 2', thereby winding the cord on the drum and compressing the springs 12. The projection 12 is at the same time caught by the springfinger q, the pawl g forced back by the inclined projection 0, and these parts thereby retained in this position until, by the movement of nut to, the lever 11 disconnects the finger q, when the 1 parts are returned to the normal position by spring Z, the springs 0 being retained com pressed by the pawl g of the ratchet-wheelj". The cord is attached to the smaller end of the drum f, so that the compression of the springs increases gradually, and the car is not checked suddenly, and on release. of the springs the greatest power is applied first.

To start the car the brake-shaft t is to be turned in the direction opposite to the first movement, which engages the clutch is with the gear 5, and at the same time releases the pawl g, so that the springs are released and their power is exerted to d! ive the car forward.

The end of leverc is always in such position that if the brake-shaft is turned in the wrong direction in stopping or starting, the catches q q are prevented from catching and the bar Lreturns to its normal position.

To stop the car when going in the other direction, the bar lhas first to be moved in a contrary direction to cause the winding of the cord on" the drum f by means of the clutch 7c, and then the starting of the car by engagement of clutch is. The following additional and duplicate parts are made use of for that purpose: (1 g are spring-fingers, fitted contiguous to q and q, for engagement with the projection 19.

v is a lever connected to the nut 24, and operating in the same manner as lever 12 for disengaging the catches g g but fitted so that its moving end travels in a contrary direction to c. s is a rod from cranklcver r to a brake-shaft, t, at the end of the car opposite'to t. w is alever hung on the car-frame, one end of which lever takes upon lugs or projections on fingers q q, and to the other end is connected arod, a, that passes to the car-platform adjacent to brake-shaft t. w is a second lever, connected with fingers g (1?, and from which a rod, a passes to the carplatform at the other end, contiguous to the brake-shaft t These levers w w are for forcing back the pawls, q q or g (1 not in use, which will be done by pressing back the rod, a or a, at the rear platform and catching it by a hook, I). The rods to a are fitted at the platform for operation by the drivers foot. The rod to or (d, that goes to the front platform, may also be used to release the barl before the cord is fully wound or the car'fully stopped.

The apparatus described is, to be used with or withoutbrakes of ordinary character, and it may be put in operation, when the car is on a descending grade, to store power for aiding the propulsion on an ascending grade. It may also be applied to steam-railroad cars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In car brakes and starters, the combination, Withthe car-axle a and wheel provided with the fixed gearing h h, of the drum-shaft e,wind1ng-druln f, ratchet f, gears 71.2 '5 t", clutches k is, levers m m, sliding bar I, havin g projection 0, and pawl g, fitted with a stud or roller, a, substantially as described and shown, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In car brakes and starters, the springfingers q or q, the sliding clutch-operating bar l, having the lug or projection 19, the lever v, the nut a, and drum-shaft 6, combined substantially as described and shown, for holding the clutches and automatically releasing them.

3. In car brakes and starters, the combination, with the sliding clutch-operating barl and its retaining spring-finger q or q, of the lever w and rod a, for releasing the fingers by hand, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

. JOHN LEONARD COLE. Witnesses:

ANDREW WOLLESEN, FERRY H. (JoLn. 

